Lubricating-axle



(No Model.)

' J. L. DOLSON.

LUBRIGATING AXLE.

No. 579,704. Patented Mar. 30. 1897. El --Z- 'e' Q @J8 'auf' Pil/ NrrnnSTATES rrrcn.

i' ATENT LUBRICAATING-AXLE'.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 579,704, dated March30, 1897. Application filed November 10, 1896. Serial No. 611,648. (Nomodel.)

T all 1071/0717, t 'muy concern.-

Beit known that I, JOHN L. DOLSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Charlotte, in the county of Eaton and State of Michigan,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lubricating-Axles;and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention is an improvement in lubricating-axles and it consists inthe novel features hereinafter described, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, which illustrate one form in which I havecontemplated embodying my invention, and said invention is fullydisclosed in the following description and claims.

Referring to the said drawings, Figure l represents a horizontalsectional view of a hub and box for the left-hand spindle of an axle,the axle being shown in elevation. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the boxand right-hand `shoulder a?.

spindle of axle. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of theleft-hand spindle of axle and its box. Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of theconstruction shown at the right in Fig. 3. Figs. 5 and 6 are exteriorviews of the cap and collar' which engage the box. Fig. 7 is a view on areduced scale of a wrench for screwing up the spindle-collar.

In the drawings, A representsl the axle proper, and A A2 the spindleswhich receive the boxes, A representing the left spindle and A2 theright. The spindle A' (see Figs. l, 3, 4, 5, and 6) is provided with theusual shouldered portion a. at its inner end, provided for a portion ofitsY extent with screwthreads a', at the inner end of which is a Brepresents a screw-threaded collar which is screwed over the threadedportion a in the same direction as the forward rotation of the Wheeluntil it abuts tightly against the shoulder a2. (See Fig. 4.) On theinner side of the shoulder a2 is a sand-groove a3, which is preferablyin the center of a smooth turned portion a4 of the spindle. On the innerside of this turned portion a4 is another turned portion a5 to allow theinner screw-collar to be slipped back from over the collar B, as willappear hereinafter.

In the top of the spindle and extending longitudinally thereof is theusual oil-groove a6, which is deeper adjacent to the point of thespindle than it is adjacent to the 4shouldered part a, said grooveextending from thepoint of the spindle to a point near the collar B.

a7 represents a spiral groove which I term the feed-groove and which iscut in the spindle from a point on the under side at .the end or pointof the spindle extending around the rear side of the spindle to a pointon the npper side slightly back from the point of the spindle, where itempties into the main oilgroove a6.

as represents a groove which I term the distributing-groove, which iscut in the front side of the spindle from the main oilgroove a6 nearlyhalf-way around the spindle, where it vanishes, this groove being forthe purpose of distributing the oil in the groove a6 to the exterior ofthe spindle.

a9 represents an overflow-space at the outer end of the oil-groove a6 ofthe spindle.

Y O represents the box, which is of tubular form, made to fit thespindle in the usual manner, and adapted to engage the aperture in thehub D. The outer end of the box is provided with a threaded portion c,which is engaged by a screw-cap E, which is so formed as to constitute areservoir for oil and is provided with a central screw-plug e, which canbe removed to fill the cap with oil without removing the cap E. The saidcap is also provided With a laterally-extending ange e to engage theouter end of the hub when the cap is screwed onto the box and thussecurely hold the box in the hub, as shown in Fig. 1. The inner end ofthe box O is provided with a shoulder c', against which the inner end ofthe hub abuts, and is clamped by the flange c on the screw-cap E. Theexterior of the box is also provided with longitudinally extending ribsc2 to prevent the hub from turning on the box, and beyond the shoulder cis a screw-threaded portion c3, which is engaged by a screw-threadedretaining-collar F, which retains the box upon the spindle. Thisretaining-collar is provided with a bored portion f, which fits easilyover the turned portion a4 of the spindle and covers the sandgroove a3,and said collar has a shoulder f', which is parallel to the inner faceof the collar B. A washer G, of leather or rubber, is placed on thespindle between the collar B and the shoulder f', so that when theretailiing-collar is screwed on the box the said washer prevents anydust from getting between the spindle and box, even it it should passthe sand-groove a3.

It is to be understood that the screw-cap E and retaining-collar F willbe so threaded as to screw on in the opposite direction to the forwardmovement of the wheel on cach end of the axle.

The collar B is provided with a spiralv groove b, extending around theperiphery of the same in the direction of the forward revolution of thebox, said groove extending from a point on the upper side oi' the collarat its inner side entirely around the same to a point opposite itsbeginning on the outer side of the collar, so that it any oil collectsupon the periphery oi the collar it will enter thc groove l), and by therevolution of the box will be carried around and conducted to the outerside of the collar adjacent to the main oilgroove of the spindle. Awasher Il is interposed between the collar B and a shoulder c'1 of thebox, which is parallel to said collar, and said washer is made of lessdiameter than the box, as shown, so that the oil may pass from theperiphery of the collar Il outward to the spindle.

It will be seen that the collar B is clamped between the shoulder c4 ofthe box and the shoulder f of the retaining-collar, with the washers Gand I-I interposed between the parts, as described, so that there willbe little or no lateral play of the box upon the spindle.

In order that the collar may be screwed upon the spindle, I provide itwith an aperture b to receive the point k of a wrench K, which isconveniently used for this purpose, the said wrench being shown on areduced scale in Fig. 7. In order to prevent oil from collecting in thesaid aperture b', I provide an overflow-groove b2 from said aperture tothe outer face of the collar to conduct the oil back to the spindle,said groove Z22 extending forwardly in an inclined direction.

As shown in Fig. 2, the right-hand spindle and box are constructedexactly the saine as the left, except that the direction of the groovesand the screw-threads of the threaded parts are reversed, so as to bearthe proper relation to the forward movement of the wheel and box, aswill be readily understood.

In assembling the parts of the device the retaining-collar F is firstplaced over the spindle and pushed back as far as possible over theturned portion a", and the washer G is placed within said collar. Thecollar ll is then placed on the spindle and screwed up against theshoulder a2 by means of the wrench K, and the washer H is placed againstits outer face. The box is of course driven into the hub and providedwith the cap E, after which the box is slipped over the spindle and theretaining-collar Fis then screwed onto the box until the parts are heldin position, but permitting the box to turn easily on the spindle.Exterior portions ot the cap E and collar F are provided with polygonalportions, as shown at @X and fx, Figs. 5 and 6, to permit of their beingturned up with a wrench. The screw-plug c is then removed and the cap Eis filled with oil, which is led to the oil-groove a by the forwardrevolutions of the wheel by the spiral groove al, and the oil isdistributed to the spindle and box by the groove as.

It will be seen from the drawings that the main portion of theoil-holding recess of the cap or plug e is below the plane ot the mainoil-groove d, and the revolutions ol' the box cause the oil to travel upthe inclined groove d'7 into the main groove a6.

lVhat I claim, and desire to secure by Iletters Patent, is-

l. The combination with the box, of the spindle provided with alongitudinal main oil-groove on its upper side and a spiral i'eedgrooveextending from a point inthe main groove back from the end of thespindle, to the end face of the spindle at a point below the mainoil-groove, and a recessed oil-holding cap engaging the box and havingthe main portions of its oil-recess below the plane of the mainoil-groove, whereby the oil is carried from said oil-recess upwardthrough the spiral groove to the main oil-groove by the revolution ofthe box, substantially as described.

2. The combination with the box, of the spindle provided withalongitudinal main oilgroove on its upper side, a spiral feed-grooveextending from a point in the main groove back from the end of thespindle to a point on the end of the spindle below said main groove andan overflow from the oil-groove at the extreme end of the spindle, and arecessed oil-holdin g cap engaging said box and having the main portionsof its oil-recess below the plane ot the main oil-groove whereby the oilwill be carried from the oil-recess upward through the feed-groove tothe main oil-groove by the rotation of the box, substantially asdescribed.

3. The combination with the box provided adjacent to its inner end witha shoulder, of the spindle provided with a longitudinal main groove anda spiral feed-groove adjacent to the point ot' the spindle, a detachablecollar secured to said spindle and provided on its periphery with aspiral groove extending from a point near the inner face of the collarforwardly around the collar to the outer face to conduct lubricantoutwardly toward the main oil-groove, a retaining-collar on the spindleengaging the box and having a shoulder on the inner side of the saidspii'idle-collar, and an oil-holding cap engaging the outer end of thebox and communicating with the spiral feed-groove, substantially asdescribed.

4. The combination with the spindle provided with an annularsand-groove, a longitudinal main oil-groove and a spiral feed- IOOgroove adjacent to the spindle-point, communicating With the maingroove, of a collar detachably engaging the spindle between the mainoil-groove and the sand-groove and provided With a spiral grooveextending around its periphery from the inner face to the outer face,the box engaging the spindle and provided With a shoulder adjacent tothe outer face of the said spindle-collar, a retainingcollar having aportion engaging the spindle andcovering said sand-groove, a shoulderadjacent to the inner face of the spindle-collar and a portion forengaging the box, a Washer of less diameter than the box interposedbetween the shoulder of the box and the spindle-collar, and anoil-holding cap secured to the outer end of the box and communicatingwith said feed-groove, substantially as described.

5. The combination With the spindle provided with an annularsand-groove, a longitudinal main oil-groove, and a spiral feedgrooveadjacent to the spindle-point communicating with the main oil-groove,and a shoulder adjacent to the sand-groove, of a collar detachablysecured to the spindle and engaging said shoulder and provided With aspiral groove extending around its periphery from its inner face to itsouter face, the box surrounding the spindle and provided with ashoulder'adjacent to said collar, the retaining-collar having a portionsurrounding the spindle and covering said sand groove, a shoulderadjacent to said spindle-collar and a portion detachably engaging thebox, a Washer interposed between the retaining-collar and thespindle-collar, fitting tightly in said retaining-collar, aWasher ofless diameter than the box interposed between the shoulder of the boxand the spindle-collar, and an oil-holding cap detachably secured to thebox communicating with said spiral `feed-groove and provided with aremovable plug, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

JOHN L. DOLSON. Vitnesses:

J. M. C. SMITH, ADA ONEIL.

